Brainstorm

Nokia has invested a lot in Ovi Maps. While it has lot of potential, it's not perfect. However, instead of trying to find an alternative product, why not give some suggestions on how it could be improved?

Please put only one idea per solution, this way each idea can be voted separately.

Solutions for this brainstorm

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Solution #1: Voice Guided Navigation as free beta until purchase of it is available

Solution #2: Free turn by turn navigation on OVI

Nokia should implement free turn by turn navigation on OVI. Although it’s a difficult decision for Navteq, it’s better to make it now, while in the position of world best map supplier. The model should be; the users add corrections and traffic information to the available maps.The revenue should come from advertisement.

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Solution #3: Ability to map roads

Add a feature to map new/changed roads for private use, with an option to share it with friends/community. It should be really simple to use. Basically just a "Start Mapping Road" and "End Mapping Road" buttons and drive/walk to road. After that there could be some simple questions like what kind of road (dirt/gravel/tarmac and), condition (very poor - very good), type (private/local/main/motorway/toll) and so on. After that is would ask if you want to share it and with whom.

Solution #5: Ovi maps must compete with Google maps.

If Nokia wants to break through the market with Maemo 5 and 6, they will have to compete with the GPS navigation capabilities of Android. In my opinion any solution much inferior to googles will not cut it, and will drive lots of non maemo fan customers straight into the arms of Android devices

At the very minimum Ovi needs Voice activation, turn by turn, and especially it has to be free/included with the device.

I love maemo and have purchased the N900, but I seriously found myself thinking about the Motorola droid, when I saw the GPS navigation function in action. Tap a button, and tell it where you want to go.

Solution #8: Add tighter integration inside other maemo software

Add heuristics inside every TextView or every widget that can display text such that it recognises what is an address or a place and have it such that clicking on what it thinks is a place or address shows it in ovi maps. Very useful when people sms/im/email you addresses or that you have typed an address casually in the calendar.

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Solution #9: Add scripting capability

Add the ability to do things with scripts (python, shell, javascript, or something else). This way the maps will be extended in different ways, both for commercial and fun uses. For example there could be a script that posts location somewhere and retrieves information for nearby "nodes", putting them on maps.

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Solution #10: Share real-time location

Add a feature to be able to share location in real-time via data connection or SMS messages. This would enable to set up "convoys" and see where the other members are located in the map. In addition, it would be cool if there could be a web page which would show the location of these shared members.

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Solution #11: Off-line maps

There should be the possibility to download maps into the device and then they could be used off-line. In S60 version of Ovi Maps this is already possible, but I understand that in Maemo version this is not. One should be able to use Ovi Maps without any data connection (due to availability or roaming costs).

Solution #15: Add Presence Detection and Managment

Presence detection is a key item that can not only be updated by GPS, but used to provide faster startup and time to first lock. The OVI app should be able to look at other system items (active wifi SSIDs, last location, etc) and use these to pre-seed the GPS receiver if it's been off. Right now it's relying on A-GPS and/or an active data connection to do this. In fact, on my N900 if the GPS is off and I have no data connection, GPS often fails to get a lock before the OVI map app "gives up" and turns GPS off again. Meaning I MUST have a data connection setup to get a lock most times. Removing this need while providing a useful feature like presence would be great.

It could also dynamically update presence information. If I route to a destination it can say "Headed to ..." If I pull into my driveway, it should be able to set my presence to "Home". When it sees my work's wifi, it should set it to "Work". This could trigger IM plugins to update their presence (or not, via plugin setting), change the profile (to silent when near your common movie theater), and maybe even update your clock settings if you change time zones for those that travel a lot, or live and work in different zones.

Solution #21: Keyboard Shortcuts

There are several keyboard shortcuts that could be implemented to help quickly access commenly used/needed features. Examples:

Move to My Location

Zoom In/Out (although the on-screen implementation is sufficient)

Jump to "Search for Location"

Basically you should never have to move through several layers of menus to get to the commonly used functions and as the featureset grows the usable screen space will not be able to accomodate without being cluttered and/or unintuitive, so keyboard shortcuts are a simple and intuitive way to give quick access to those features.

Solution #22: Alternate/Additional POI Sources

It could be useful to have the ability to add alternate/additional POI sources (example Google, Yahoo, User Defined, etc).

I could see two different methods for implementation.

1) Create a standard API for requests/responses and the UI just asks for a URI to direct requests to. So it is just a matter of entering the URI and when a search is performed, it queries all of the POI sources and compiles the results.

2) Have the ability to select a single POI source from a list of verified/tested sources. This could be similar to how the built-in web search feature works in most browsers.

Currently you have to hold the FN key while pressing the key to enter a number in the routing search. I propose that you make it just like every other text entry area in the N900 where you press the FN key THEN press the key to enter the number.

Solution #26: Ovi maps and contacts integration

an option that you can set where is the address of your friends for example: Axel's house so when you are in Axel's house the location shows where you are, and if you want to go to someone place you go to contacts address and go to and the ovi maps take you there.

and not only for contacts, for example when you are at work you can set the location as WORK in ovi maps and the N900 can show as your actual location @ Work or @Cinema or show the POI name like @ Mc Donalds

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Solution #27: Add map loader functionality in the application itself

For those of us without a data plan, the Nokia Map Loader (on a computer) allows you to bulk download a region, eliminating the need for constant networking.
However easy it is, it's still just a hassle to have to use Map Loader, when the N900 is fully capable of downloading gigabytes of data (of course it will take a while, that's what Maemo Mapper did with OS2008).
Settings (within the Ovi Maps app) would be a nice place for it.
Possible sequence to get to Map Loader:
Launch Ovi Maps > Expand toolbar (bottom-right arrow when fullscreen) > application menu (the bar on the top of the window) > Map Loader > Continents > Country > State/Province > Download > Refresh

Solution #32: Fake satellite zoom

N900 has a very fine screen, and OVI maps isn't attuned to that. In satellite mode, maps are more than capable of detail, but the detail is lost in the little pixels N900 has, especially when on the road.

As a result, when maps are unavailable at the last zoom level in Satellite view, N900 should fill in the blanks with the previuus zoom level, scaled up. The images the phone downloads can be zoomed in at twice, if not four times the original size and still get apparent detail to the naked eye.

Additionally, the N900 could display the next available zoom level up or down, scaled, until the requested zoom level is available for download.